Dr. Carlos Manlio Diaz Garcia obtained his undergraduate degree from the University of La Habana, Cuba, where he conducted research on autonomic dysregulation in patients with spinocerebellar ataxia type 2. He later pursued his Master’s degree, studying zinc modulation of calcium channels in rat ventricular cardiomyocytes. His Ph.D. focused on the TRPV1 channel’s role in insulin secretion and glucose tolerance. As a postdoc at Harvard Medical School, he investigated energy demand and supply in the stimulated brain. Dr. Diaz Garcia is currently an Assistant Professor at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, researching neuronal activity, metabolism, and brain insulin signaling.

In his upcoming webinar, Dr. Diaz Garcia will delve into the utilization of acute brain slices to explore cellular metabolic responses to neuronal stimulation. He will discuss the benefits of this model for visualizing neuronal metabolism using genetically encoded fluorescent biosensors, 2-photon fluorescence lifetime imaging, and electrophysiological readouts. Furthermore, he will present advancements in the preparation for proteomic and respirometry assays, shedding light on metabolic cooperation between astrocytes and neurons and the regulation of NADH dynamics by Ca2+ fluxes.

Learning Objectives:

  • Assess the advantages and disadvantages of using acute brain slices for studying neuronal metabolism.
  • Describe methodologies for visualizing neuronal metabolism in live brain tissue.
  • Analyze published research utilizing these methodologies in acute brain slices.